.jpg)
“Everyone I've met has been impacted by the disease of addiction in some shape or form, and as a community we need to talk about it, get honest about it, and heal.”
This is from Shelby Dunnigan, clinical supervisor at St. Joseph’s Addiction & Recovery Centre. Having grown up in the area, she herself has been impacted by addiction and mental health, and says she is grateful to have this centre in the community because it has helped many people from Estevan, the surrounding region, and across Saskatchewan.
“I have such a passion for rural Saskatchewan. Resources are limited here, so to have access to this treatment center is a blessing and I'm so honoured to give back to my home community in such an important way.”
She says they receive a lot of positive feedback from people who have been through treatment programs at St. Joseph’s.
“Just to see how many people we’ve helped in the last five years that are still sober, that have their family back in their lives, that are achieving education and career goals. A lot of that is happening right here in Estevan. It's such a blessing to see so many local people come into the centre and then successfully integrate back into the community.”
Dunnigan clarifies that St. Joseph’s is an open-ended residential program that provides individualized plans dedicated to holistic interventions to treat addiction.
“The clinical team meets daily to assess each individuals’ needs and where they're at – so what we offer to one person may be completely different from the next. They may be with us for 60 days, or 90 days. And we don’t just focus on getting them sober – we work with the individual to teach them coping skills so they can stay sober.”
The team at St. Joseph’s also explores areas that may be connected in a person’s life.
“That might be work around their inability to cope with uncomfortable feelings such as shame, hopelessness, or anger. This can also be an inability to cope with difficult life events that they have experienced. It may be helping them recognize their defenses that surround their behavior when they’re in active addiction. It may be helping them build healthy relationships with others, and learning how to set healthy boundaries. Some of our counsellors are trained in trauma therapy, so we can offer that as well. We also work to create a space to help the family heal. We have a program we can offer to family members. We will bring in the family to support their loved ones during their treatment process. We also offer family visiting with the hope that it helps repair relationships that we know addiction can destroy. Ultimately, our goal is to help someone feel safe enough to return to a place of self-respect and reconnect with their values. This can give meaning to their life, creating hope and purpose for them.”
When an individual is ready to complete their treatment, which is based on their success in achieving the program’s treatment goals, Dunnigan says they then help that person integrate their family, career, or education within their recovery capital. Their recovery capital can include: encouraging them to attend 12 step meetings in their community, as well as get a sponsor, empowering them to connect with outpatient addiction services or other mental health services, or helping them find a healthy living environment to support their needs. And when ready, they are provided with a continuing care plan so they can keep advancing their accomplishments and integrating that important work into their life and recovery. With that, the program offers continuing care meetings once a week so they can stay involved in supporting someone after completion of the program.
“We also offer a sober living facility, here in Estevan,” reveals Dunnigan. “So if an individual in our program meets the treatment goals here, we can offer a continuum of our care by supporting them in our sober living. We've had a lot of success with individuals wanting to transition from inpatient to second stage to continue the work in their recovery. Ultimately, sober living helps people implement what they’ve just learned in treatment, in a safe and structured environment.”
Dunnigan explains that at St. Joseph’s, they treat addiction for what it is: a progressive disease, that impacts the whole being, which creates behavioral symptoms that impacts the individual’s ability to function and cope, despite the harmful consequences on someone’s life. Addiction is also a disease that does not discriminate, it is not a choice. No one wakes up one day and chooses to have a life of addiction.
“We see how addiction destroys,” says Dunnigan. “Addiction destroys lives and creates absolute chaos in all areas of a person’s life. So people walking through our doors are often experiencing shame, hopelessness, despair – because that's where addiction takes them, often at no fault of their own. Addiction is an isolating disease – and the opposite of addiction is connection. So if we can connect with an individual, make them feel safe, make them feel emotionally secure, and help them feel that they deserve to be here and that they belong here – that’s when they can begin their treatment process. That’s when the trust starts to develop and we can begin the more intense treatment work, taking a forensic look into their behaviors, helping them build healthier coping skills and empowering them to take personal responsibility.”
Dunnigan wants people to know that addiction has always been here. “The presence of our centre has just shed light on what has always been happening. Now we have another space in our community to help people heal.”
“We work with all patients who come through our doors long before they are admitted into our program,” says Dunnigan. “Our admission process is extensive – we do a lot of screening, making sure they'll be a suitable fit for our program. Our nurse is involved as well, to make sure they'll be a medical fit. Because our program is voluntary, meaning individuals can choose to leave at any time, our admissions team creates an early exit plan with all intakes. So in the case that someone leaves the treatment program early, there's a lot of work we do to support someone who is going back to their home community.”
Dunnigan says addiction is such a baffling disease because it completely isolates a person, makes them feel that no one cares about them, and numbs out their ability to cope.
“You do not have addiction without shame, which often prevents people from reaching out for help, keeping them feeling stuck in a hopeless place,” shares Dunnigan. “I want people who may be struggling to know this: you are not alone. We understand that addiction is not a choice. And as isolated as you may feel right now, there is help. We are here. And our purpose and desire is to help.”
For those who are thinking they need help, but aren’t ready to pick up the phone or walk through the doors of St. Joseph, she encourages them to consider this: “If you can take that first step to reach out, we can help you do the rest. We're building a community here in Estevan that is supportive, that will attempt to keep you safe, and we'll connect you to individuals who get it – who have survived hopeless places. You don't have to do this alone. Change is possible. We're here to help.”
With a tone of gratefulness, Dunnigan reflects that it has been an honour to watch St. Joseph’s Addiction & Recovery Centre open in Estevan and make a difference in the surrounding communities as well.
“Over the last five years we’ve expanded into such a healing network in Estevan. We focus on supporting local individuals and I'm grateful to be a part of that. We have grown to provide 32 inpatient treatment beds, 4 rapid access beds, and 32 sober living beds. We continue to see patients move from a state of absolute hopelessness, despair, chaos – all caused by the disease of addiction – and we get to see them regain their life back. Regain their sense of self-worth. Get that light back in their eyes. And deal with the physical, emotional, spiritual, and social consequences that addiction has created for them – doing some courageous work so they can come back into their life. Our dedicated staff team, our alumni, and our patients make all of this possible. We all create a partnership in making our program what it is – a place to help people heal.”
Because St. Joseph’s Addiction & Recovery Centre is publicly funded, there is no cost for those with an active Saskatchewan Health Card number. For those considering reaching out, call-306-461-5483 or visit www.recoverysaskatchewan.com.